In contracts concluded for the carriage of passengers by sea and inland waterways, it is necessary to ensure that the passenger, who constitutes the weaker party to the contract, is afforded at least a minimum level of protection. In this context, with a view to securing a high level of protection for passengers in the field of sea and inland waterway transport, enabling persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility to benefit from passenger transport services provided by sea and inland waterways, defining the scope of passengers’ rights in cases of cancellation or delay of a passenger service or departure, ensuring that passengers are adequately informed before and during their journey, and establishing effective complaint-handling mechanisms allowing passengers to lodge complaints against carriers and terminal operators engaged in sea and inland waterway passenger transport and to have such complaints resolved within a reasonable time, the European Union adopted, on 24 November 2010, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterways (Regulation No 1177/2010). This study examines passenger rights provided for under Regulation No 1177/2010. Given that Turkish law does not contain a specific legislative framework governing passengers’ rights in the context of carriage by sea and inland waterways, it is submitted that, in the event of future legislative initiatives in this field, it would be advisable to take Regulation No 1177/2010 of the European Union as a legislative model.
M Aydın (Tue,) studied this question.